Blacks in Philly (Phoenixville, Yeadon, Darby: real estate, homes, neighborhoods)

[llmrkc07]

Originally Posted by kyb01

If you are single you may be able to swing living in CC or University City with your salary.

I would also recommend Ardmore, a Philly 'burb, which has a walkable downtown and some decent restaurants and is easily accessible to CC by train and car. However it may too slow for the lifestyle it sounds like you want.

Nah I'm single. No kids either. I'll check out university city, a friend of mines told me about it but he strongly advised city center. I'm looking to pay up to 1500 (not trying to pay that much..but I would if need be) in rent. I know gas is used a lot there. You know how much a normal bill will run? Also is Direct TV available there (just asked because of comcast)?

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by llmrkc07

Nah I'm single. No kids either. I'll check out university city, a friend of mines told me about it but he strongly advised city center. I'm looking to pay up to 1500 (not trying to pay that much..but I would if need be) in rent. I know gas is used a lot there. You know how much a normal bill will run? Also is Direct TV available there (just asked because of comcast)?

The rents are, likely, cheaper in UC. And its "right next door" to CC. Plenty going on. But, nope, dunno how much rent might be since I own a condo. Others can chime in wrt answers to your questions.


Soon Center City and University City will look like one, seamless, entity. There lots of contruction going on in both and more to come. You might want to look at the "Phila. 2035" thread. Many of the projects are discussed in that thread. One really exciting one is SoNo. A tech hub that looks certain to happen in the old Destination Maternity factory which has moved to NJ. SoNo is situated in what is sometimes called the Easerhead neighborhood because of film/tv director, David Lynch, lived there while he was a student at PAFA. In any case that neighborhood will likely look very different in the future because of the Reading Viaduct Park project. It will be similar to the High Line in NYC, but different, in that there will be underground, below street level, sections eventually.

[llmrkc07]

Originally Posted by kyb01

The rents are, likely, cheaper in UC. And its "right next door" to CC. Plenty going on. But, nope, dunno how much rent might be since I own a condo. Others can chime in wrt answers to your questions.


Soon Center City and University City will look like one, seamless, entity. There lots of contruction going on in both and more to come. You might want to look at the "Phila. 2035" thread. Many of the projects are discussed in that thread. One really exciting one is SoNo. A tech hub that looks certain to happen in the old Destination Maternity factory which has moved to NJ. SoNo is situated in what is sometimes called the Easerhead neighborhood because of film/tv director, David Lynch, lived there while he was a student at PAFA. In any case that neighborhood will likely look very different in the future because of the Reading Viaduct Park project. It will be similar to the High Line in NYC, but different, in that there will be underground, below street level, sections eventually.

Cool man, appreciate the info. Will def check out the thread.

[MrDarkKnight]

Originally Posted by TimmyTightWad

True. I was mostly speaking to the fact it seems like he wants to be around a lot of middle class blacks or black elite. IE: the dream Atlanta sold over the last decade and what Houston is selling now. I'm a software engineer and my wife is a director in education, there are gainfully employed blacks in the city. If I'm being honest though I would never sell Philadelphia as a place to congregate with middle class blacks (or any race really). The blue collar aesthetic is largely true in my experience.

I'm also an AA male, who works in software development in the Dallas, TX. I'M considering moving to the Philly suburbs, probably in PA. I have friends in all socio-economic levels, however I was wondering about how easy it will be to develop relationships with other AA professionals. In a metro the size of Philly, I can't imagine that I would have much trouble. How far off base am I?

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by MrDarkKnight

I'm also an AA male, who works in software development in the Dallas, TX. I'M considering moving to the Philly suburbs, probably in PA. I have friends in all socio-economic levels, however I was wondering about how easy it will be to develop relationships with other AA professionals. In a metro the size of Philly, I can't imagine that I would have much trouble. How far off base am I?

You would have better luck building a network in the city of Philadelphia as opposed to most suburbs.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by cpomp

You would have better luck building a network in the city of Philadelphia as opposed to most suburbs.

But if he prefers suburban life, there are plenty of options close, and easily accessible, to those networking opportunities.

[Shizzles]

Originally Posted by cattusbabe

AA Middle Class woman who actually still lives in Philly. The AA middle class, who could, has decamped to the inner ring burbs. I say who could because much of the middle class is mandated to stay in the city because they work for city government.

Sure, there are some who live in a handful of neighborhoods around the city as mentioned above. I'd add East Oak Lane to that list. The areas around or many collages and down town do have AA living there. We are a scattered bunch.

If you are looking for a thriving majority AA neighborhood in Philly then you will be disappointed I'm afraid. Truth be told most of Philly's AA population is working class to poor and are stuck in some pretty raunchy neighborhoods that I would not recommend to anyone who wants to preserve their life and limbs.

It's a shame really. West Oak Lane at one time was kinda a sanctuary for middle class AA's but lower classes of people have moved in. Wynnefield in West Philly and Cedarbrook/Mt Airy in Northwest have large Middle-class AA populations (Mt Airy does have a sizable white population though). Abington and Cheltenham townships in Montgomery Co have long established Middle Class AA populations, and many have decamped to Jersey, but not sure where...

It's the schools really, probably not much different in Chicago.

[Clark Park]

Originally Posted by kyb01

There are historic reasons why there are so many black people in Philly going back two centuries. It's easy to research if you want to. Just google Free African Society for starters.

The AME church was founded in Philadelphia by Richard Allen.

There are two very historic black universities here: Cheney University and Lincoln University. They both have very interesting histories.

Also Philadelphia was a major stop on the Underground Railroad.

Philly was also home to many famous African Americans over the years:

W.E.B. DuBois, Octavius Catto, Billie Holiday, Paul Robeson, John Coltraine, Will Smith, Marian Anderson, etc.

This city has a rich African American heritage ... there's the African American Museum, the Odunde Festival, etc.

Having said that, I still see vestiges of racism - particularly in white blue collar working class neighborhoods. Philly is just 25 miles north of the Mason Dixon Line.

[rotodome]

Originally Posted by Clark Park

Philly was also home to many famous African Americans over the years:

W.E.B. DuBois, Octavius Catto, Billie Holiday, Paul Robeson, John Coltraine, Will Smith, Marian Anderson, etc.

This city has a rich African American heritage ... there's the African American Museum, the Odunde Festival, etc.

Having said that, I still see vestiges of racism - particularly in white blue collar working class neighborhoods. Philly is just 25 miles north of the Mason Dixon Line.

I don't think proximity to the (technical) south has anything to do with it, honestly. You see the same thing in similar areas of Boston and every other Northeastern city.

[Clark Park]

Originally Posted by rotodome

I don't think proximity to the (technical) south has anything to do with it, honestly. You see the same thing in similar areas of Boston and every other Northeastern city.

You're right. That was a fatuous thing for me to say.